Rock History August 1
1964, “A Hard Day’s Night” went to the top of the charts giving The Beatles their fifth US number one single in seven months.
1964, Billboard Magazine reported that the harmonica was making a comeback in a big way thanks to its use by Stevie Wonder, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and Bob Dylan.
1965, During a UK tour, The Rolling Stones appeared at the London Palladium supported by The Walker Brothers, The Fourmost, Steampacket featuring Rod Stewart, and Sugar Pie Desanto with The Shevelles.
1967, The Who performed at the Mississippi State Coliseum, Jackson, Mississippi, opening for Herman’s Hermits. In honor of their location, they do a one-time-only cover of Nancy Sinatra’s hit song “Jackson.” After the show, Pete’s friend and now official band photographer, Tom Wright takes Pete to a local doctor who stitches up his finger that he had sliced to the bone doing windmills. The doctor says Pete won’t be able to play for a month. Pete replies that he’ll just glue his pick to the bandage.
1968, The Jimi Hendrix Experience played at Tad Gormley Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana.
1968, The Who perform at The Electric Theater in Chicago. While there The Who stay at a Holiday Inn in Rolling Meadows, Illinois and during a breat, Pete pens a new song,”Go To The Mirror!” for the forthcoming rock opera.
1969, Led Zeppelin, supported by Jethro Tull and Family of Man appeared at the Earl Warren Showgrounds in Santa Barbara, California.
1969, The three day US Atlantic City Pop Festival took place at the Atlantic City race track with BB King, Janis Joplin, Santana, Three Dog Night, Dr John, Procol Harum, Arthur Brown, Iron Butterfly, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Little Richard, Tim Buckley, The Byrds, Jefferson Airplane, The Mothers Of Invention and Canned Heat. Joni Mitchell, started to cry and ran off stage in the middle of her third song because the crowd was not paying attention to her performance.
1969, Pink Floyd appeared at the Van Dike Club, Plymouth, England.
1970, The film Performance featuring Mick Jagger in his acting debut, had its UK premiere in London. The British crime drama film directed by Donald Cammell and Nicolas Roeg also featured James Fox.
1971, The Concert For Bangladesh, organized by George Harrison to aid victims of famine and war in Bangladesh took place at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Featuring Bob Dylan, Ringo Starr, Billy Preston, Eric Clapton, Ravi Shankar, and members from Badfinger. Harrison had to shell out his own money to maintain the fund after legal problems froze all proceeds. The triple album release, the second in a row by Harrison, hit number one in the UK and number two in the US and received the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
1971, members of The Who attend the Bangladesh charity concert with George Harrison and friends at Madison Square Garden, and jam with them at the post-concert party held at Ungano’s.
1971, Black Sabbath release their album Master of Reality, which goes to number 8 on the UK charts and number 5 in the US.
1971, The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour started on prime time American TV.
1971, Yes keyboardist Tony Kaye leaves the band to form Badger.
1972, A year after Tony Kaye jumped ship, drummer Bill Bruford leaves Yes to join King Crimson.
1973, The Grateful Dead celebrate Jerry Garcia’s birthday with a concert at Jersey City, N.J.’s Roosevelt Stadium. A nude woman pops out of a giant cake onstage.
Rock History August 1
1974, Pete Townshend decides to accompany Eric Clapton on his comeback concert tour of the United States to provide support for the still shaky musician. Keith Moon, also tags along. The two join Eric onstage at The Omni in Atlanta for performances of “Layla,” “Baby Don’t You Do It” and “Little Queenie.” After the show, Keith’s new girlfriend Annette Walter-Lax witnesses her first hotel room destruction as Keith remodels a room at the Omni Hotel.
1975, Hawkwind appeared at Town Hall, Torquay, England.
1976, The Who fly to Washington, DC, and check into the Watergate Hotel for the beginning of their four-date Whirlwind Tour.
1976, ZZ Top played at McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado.
1977, Yes performed at the Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, Virginia.
1978, Jimmy Buffett appeared at the Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, Tennessee.
1978, an exhibition of Who memorabilia assembled by fans Steve Margo, Peter Johns and “Irish” Jack Lyons opens at the Institute of Contemporary Arts on the Mall in London. Pete Townshend and Keith Moon mingle with the fans looking at the exhibits.
1980, Def Leppard made their US live debut when they appeared at the New York City concert opening for AC/DC. It was also Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott’s 21st birthday.
1980, The Allman Brothers Band played at the Henry J. Kaiser Auditorium, Oakland, California
1980, George Harrison forms Handmade Films, his own movie studio. Among its productions are Withnail & I and Shanghai Surprise.
1981, “Video Killed the Radio Star” by the Buggles is the first music video played on the brand new MTV Network.
1987, Bob Seger scored his first US number one single with the Harold Faltermeyer penned “Shakedown,”which was taken from the film Beverly Hills Cop II. The song was nominated for both the Academy Award for Best Original Song and Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, but it lost both awards to Dirty Dancing’s “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life.”
1987, Los Lobos were at number one on the UK singles chart with their version of the Ritchie Valens song “La Bamba,” which was also a number one hit in the US. The song was the title track from the film based on Ritchie Valens who died in the same plane crash the killed Buddy Holly.
2000, AC/DC kicked off their 140 date Stiff Upper World Lip Tour at the Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
2001, the Who CD Quadrophenia 1996 is released in Japan featuring fourteen groups covering Who songs related to Quadrophenia.
2007, Prince kicked off a series of 21 sold out UK shows at London’s O2 arena. Tickets for the events cost £31.21 – the same figure used by the singer to name his album, website and perfume. After completing the 21 nights the Jehovah’s Witness was planning to take time out to study the Bible.
2007, The Police played the first of two sold out nights at Madison Square Garden, New York City on their Reunion Tour.
2015, English singer, actress and entertainer Cilla Black died at her holiday home near Marbella, Spain, aged 72. Along with a successful recording career in the 1960s and early 1970s, Black hosted her own eponymous variety show, Cilla, for the BBC between 1968 and 1976.
Born on August 1: Ramblin Jack Elliot (1931); Jerry Garcia (1943); Boz Burrell, Bad Company (1946); Rick Coonce, American drummer, The Grass Roots (1946); Rick Anderson bass, The Tubes (1947); Tim Bachman, Canadian singer, guitarist, Bachman–Turner Overdrive, Brave Belt (1951); Tommy Bolin, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, Deep Purple, Zephyr, James Gang (1951); Robert Cray (1953); Joe Elliott, vocals, Def Leppard (1959); Carlton Douglas Ridenhour, aka Chuck D, American rapper, producer, Public Enemy, The Bomb Squad, Confrontation Camp (1960); Richard Griffin, aka Professor Griff, American rapper, Public Enemy, Confrontation Camp (1960); Artis Leon Ivey Jr., aka Coolio, rapper (1963); Adam Duritz, American singer-songwriter, producer, Counting Crows and The Himalayans (1964);
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AC/DC, BB King, Black Sabbath, Bob Dylan, Bob Seger, Cilla Black, Def Leppard, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, King Crimson, Pete Townshend, Prince, Santana, The Buggles, The Police, The Who, Yes, ZZ Top.
